Michigan is the only one of the 14 Big Ten schools without an updated football roster.

Need more?

It's not the athletics communications department behind the delay.

The Wolverines basketball team -- which opens play on Nov. 11 -- updated its roster on July 22. The men's ice hockey team -- first game set for Sept. 30 -- introduced its 2017-18 roster on Friday with a Tweet including an exclamation point to convey excitement.

"We have not posted a 2017 season roster and won't until the first game week at the end of this month," the official replied.

Because Michigan is a public university, it is subject to the Freedom Of Information Act. NJ Advance Media submitted a request for a roster on Aug. 3.

FOIA is a tool used to weed out corruption in government, but here is a request for the hometown of a third-string linebacker.

A reply was received Friday:

"Due to the large number of requests currently being processed by this office, it will not be possible to respond to your request within the five-day period accorded by the Michigan Freedom of Information Act. However, under Section 5 (2) (d) of the Act, the University is permitted to extend the deadline for not more than 10 business days beyond the initial due date. The University will respond to your request on or before August 25, 2017."

How convenient that Aug. 25 essentially is the start of the first game week.

To anyone whose reply is, 'There is no a rule against not publishing a roster,' you are correct. There only is an unwritten code of decades of accepted practice and no legitimate reason not to provide one.

Forget the concept of a competitive disadvantage when it comes to the roster. Any inconvenienced opponent -- or media member -- can take last season's roster plus the 2017 recruiting class and determine about 95 percent of the roster.

This is about making life just a little extra difficult for everyone around Harbaugh. Except for his fellow millionaires.